


Purple Dusk (Wish My Life Away)

by juwryyyyyyyia



Series: Wish my Life Away (To the Moon AU) [1]
Category: To the Moon Series (Video Games), ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Genre: 40 years later, Alternate Universe - No Stone Ocean (JoJo), Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Fluff, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Vento Aureo Spoilers, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Vento Aureo, Purple Haze Feedback doesn't happen, Spoilers, Tags May Change, mostly canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juwryyyyyyyia/pseuds/juwryyyyyyyia
Summary: Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts work a rather unusual job. Going through a dying person's memories and altering them to fulfill their patient's last wish is a bizarre task as it is. As they receive an invitation from Italy, there is no way they could prepare for the insanity of a series of cases awaiting them overseas.In which the remaining members of Bucci Gang have considered canon and decided to ignore it.Chapter 1 got reworked!
Series: Wish my Life Away (To the Moon AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685305
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue | Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a long series with rather short chapters in which I combine two of my favourite things in the world into one to cope with Post-Vento Aureo depression. 
> 
> Spoilers for To the Moon and Finding Paradise. Go play the games if you haven't yet, they're wonderful.

"He would be displeased if he found out about that squirrel, Neil", Eva sneers. "If my research didn't fail me, he is extremely fond of animals."

She turns away from the dead rodent, as even though she'd never admit it, she always gets a little sad when looking at the casualties caused by Neil's incompetence. The mediterranean mid-summer sun is burning down on the asphalt and Eva is using the patient files to fan some air into her face to fight the merciless heat, but to no avail. Her bangs are sticking to her forehead and pearls of sweat are running down her face.

"Look, Eva, at least our car is still in shape." The woman hums in approval.

"I don't think they would cover reparations for a rental, and who knows how expensive that would be…" She tilts her head to the side, studying the car. "You spilled our coffee, though. You better pray our equipment is okay. We don't want to mess with these clients. I'm getting strange vibes from this." Neil lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I know Mafia, blah blah blah. You know, Eva, this kinda reminds me of Colin's boss at that airport."

"Neil, I know we're in Italy, but don't connect this to organised crime syndicates just yet. All I said on the plane was that this seems really fishy. I'm surprised you remembered his name, though."

"I'll never forget that, and if I ever sign up for Sigmund Corp.'s services, that is the one thing I want you to leave uncha- holy shit."

Neil's jaw drops, eyes fixed on the dead squirrel behind his colleague. Eva turns around and blinks once, then twice. Right before their eyes, the tiny carcass turns into a white rose.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice. I hope this is not too big of an inconvenience for you. I know flying all the way to Italy must be a nuisance, but this… situation is extremely important to me..." The voice is soothing and unusually calm, considering the circumstances. He speaks with an almost imperceptible accent.

Their heads snap into the direction the voice came from, and now Eva's jaw drops as well. The man looks relatively young, even though the files said he was currently fifty-six years old. Long, golden curls frame his downright gorgeous face and his muscles are clearly visible through the matte black fabric of his suit. There is a heart-shaped cut-out in the middle of his chest with ladybug brooches attached on both sides. A truly scandalous look, but Eva and Neil later - miraculously - agree that he is the only person in the world who could not only get away with wearing such a suit, but looks downright stunning in it. The man gives the two doctors a genuine smile, well aware that his fashion choices can seem a little bizarre to normal people, but his eyes look tired. Neil's eyes jump from the man in front of him to Eva, then back at the man.

"Pardon my discourtesy," he clears his throat before continuing, "my name is Giorno Giovanna. It's a pleasure meeting you two, although the circumstances are quite… dire."

 _This guy is really something... He feels like a big deal, but not exactly like a gangster._ Eva thinks to herself, feeling relieved. She somehow hasn't expected him to be the first person they would meet. The man offers them both his hand to shake, his grip is firm, but not too firm. Somehow, even his handshake is perfect.

"I'm Dr. Eva Rosalene, Senior Memory Traversal Agent at Sigmund Corp., and this is-" Eva shoots Neil a warning glance that says _this is not the time for your bullshit, Neil,_ and to her utmost horror, he continues "Don Neil Watts, specialista tecnico. Pleasure to meet you, Signore Giovanna." Eva wants to slap the shit-eating grin out of his face. The man shoots them both an icy look, but apparently decides not to say anything. An awkward silence starts surrounding them, the chirping of countless crickets hiding somewhere in the dense pine tree forest is the only sound to be heard.

"Come on Neil, we should hurry." With an exaggerated groan Neil heaves their trusty machine out of the vehicle.

"That looks heavy, Dr. Watts. I'll call my servants to carry it for you, you must be feeling the jetlag." Even if Neil would have wanted to protest - which he certainly doesn't - Giorno doesn't give him the opportunity to do so. Without waiting for an answer, he reaches into the pocket of his suit and pulls out a smartphone so new it wasn't even available to the general public yet - Neil would later swear he'd seen a frog turn into the smartphone. Giorno doesn't lose many words. He speaks Italian, his tone demanding and decisive, a calm coldness lies within it. The phone falls back into his pocket, and suddenly the kindness is back in his eyes. Neil shudders. His gut feeling tells him he doesn't want to get on this man's bad side.

"Uhm, about the jetlag - we aren't exactly used to regular sleep schedules anyway, that's just how things are if you work a job like ours. So please don't worry about it, sir", Eva explains. Giorno nods, but says nothing in response. His emerald eyes are tired and it's probably taking all his strength to stay polite right now. Not even a minute later, two young men grab the machine, carrying it towards the massive iron gate.

"Follow me, please." Having said that, the man turns around and starts walking into the direction his servants are headed. The doctors follow at a safe distance.

"He gets me, Eva. This is the best case we ever had! I'm glad Roxie and Rob chickened out and we get to do the company's first international case", Neil whispers to his colleague, grinning triumphantly. Eva clicks her tongue.

"I'm really not sure if this was a good idea, Neil. Hopefully my gut feeling is wrong for once." 

They make their way through a massive garden filled with colourful flowers, countless ponds are scattered in between them. A pleasant breeze dances around them, finally cooling down their sweaty bodies. Amidst the mesmerising garden towers the biggest and most luxurious mansion the doctors have ever seen. Again, they find themselves stunned in awe, not knowing where to look first. Everything about Giorno Giovanna's property is out of this world.

 _"Pinch me, Eva. Is this actually happening?"_ Eva happily complies, causing Neil to yelp in pain. He quickly slaps a hand over his mouth as he notices that Giorno has stopped walking and is now watching them, one eyebrow cocked.

"Welcome to my headquarters", Giorno says, understandably lacking any kind of enthusiasm in his words. "GioGio?" a man calls out from the front door. Eva smiles at the nickname. It makes Giorno seem a bit more human.

The man standing at the entrance looks a bit older than Giorno, but just like his friend, he is still in remarkably good shape. He's wearing a grey crop top turtleneck and black low-rise jeans, showing off his abs. Something tells Eva that his colour choices for today are relatively tame. His short curly hair has some white streaks in it. He sounds mildly impatient, yet at the same time cautious not to be rude.

Giorno sighs heavily. "I suppose we really should get going."

To be continued.


	2. Prologue | Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Say, Signore Giovanna, are you into archery?", he asks casually.   
> "Pardon me?"  
> "The arrow over there." 
> 
> // Major spoilers for Finding Paradise!

"Guido Mista, but please just call me Mista", the man says as they arrive at the front door. There are scars all over his abdomen, shaped like bullet wounds; one of them is even right on his forehead. A line of black body hair adorns his belly and his chin is covered in a well-trimmed stubble. He looks more like an elderly gangster than his friend Giovanna, if it weren't for his unusual attire, much to Eva's suspicion. There is an old-fashioned revolver shoved into the crotch area of his pants, ready to be used. It's dented in numerous spots and some patches of rust cover it, as if its owner has been using it for decades.

Mista puts a hand on Giovanna's shoulder and squeezes it gently before leaning in closely to mutter something in Italian. Giovanna stares straight ahead, expression unreadable, brows slightly furrowed. He nods a few times, but after Mista mentions "stand", he shakes his head. Mista gives the doctors a tired smile before nodding his head towards the door, signalling the guests to follow him.

It is pleasantly cool inside the mansion, thanks to its thick walls. The entrance hall is huge, the floors are covered in marble and there are hallways leading into all directions. In front of them are two curved staircases, the handrails covered in golden ladybug ornaments. The two doctors aren't given a lot of time to admire the scenery, as Giovanna and Mista are already on their way to climb the stairs. The polished wooden steps creak underneath their shoes. Eva doesn't even dare to touch the handrails, as they are so clean she can see her distorted reflection in them.

"Before we start, we need to discuss something with you two. We have enough time for that", Giovanna says looking over his shoulder. He mutters something along the lines of "I made sure of it". His voice echoes through the hallway. Neil and Eva stay silent, wondering what in the world that is supposed to mean.

_So this is where he tells us that we just got involved with the Mafia_ , Neil thinks. Eva's eyes meet his, she must be thinking the same. The remaining way to what must be Giovanna's office is spent in silence, tension filling the air. They finally arrive at the large wooden doors, which Mista pushes open. He signals for the doctors to enter. Tall windows allow the sun to light up the room. There is a large wooden desk in the middle with the most comfortable looking chair behind it. Opposite of it is a couch.

"Please, take a seat. This might be a lot for you to process, but I ask you to hear me out." Neil and Eva exchange a suspectful look, but follow suit regardless. Eva doesn't allow herself to get comfortable, despite the couch virtually inviting her to lay down and take a nap right then and there. Neil, on the other hand…

Eva slaps his leg. "Sit normally Neil, for the love of god", she hisses. Neil flinches and straightens his back. Giovanna, having taken a seat as well, clears his throat. "Would you like anything to drink or something to eat?"

Mista makes his way around the desk to stand behind Giovanna and crosses his arms. His eyes are fixed on Neil, watching his every move.

"An amaretto sour, please, and hold the amaretto sour. In fact, make it coffee, please", Neil says. Suddenly there is this smug expression on Eva's face that Neil hates with a burning passion.

"I'd like a cup of coffee as well. I heard you have amazing Olives here in Italy and it's not every day that we get to visit a foreign country at work. Is that possible?" Eva asks innocently, no trace of malicious intent in her voice. Mista squints at her for a split second.

"Of course", Giovanna says. He leans into the microphone on his desk, pushes a button and speaks into it with that decisive tone again. It's taking every last bit of Neil's mental strength not to strangle Eva on the spot. As he stares at her with his most icy expression, he gets distracted by a picture frame hanging on the wall. Encased in it is a golden arrow, its shaft is broken off. The arrowhead has what looks like a mosquito on it.

"Say, Signore Giovanna, are you into archery?", he asks casually.

"Pardon me?"

"The arrow over there." The technician nods his head into the direction of the picture frame.

"Oh, no. That is simply a souvenir, if you will" Giovanna says dryly, "in fact I doubt this particular arrow would be a suitable trajectory. Its head is rather heavy and the shaft sadly broke off."

"Ah."

An awkward silence fills the room and Neil shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, there is a knock on the door. A maid swiftly enters, skillfully balancing a tray with their drinks - the two cups of coffee as well as a bottle of wine with two glasses - a plate with salami and a large dish filled with olives on it. Neil gulps audibly. He doesn't even get the chance to freak out about the olives, as Mista seemingly starts speaking to… himself?

"Wait, guys, not yet. Number 3, behave!" The man's eyes jump around to seemingly empty spots in the air around him, letting out a frustrated groan. Giovanna rubs his temples. He looks exhausted, trying his hardest not to snap.

"It's alright, Mista, I guess that will have to do as an introduction… Doctor Rosalene, Doctor Watts, there is something very important I have to tell you. I'm aware that this will be a lot to take in, so I'm asking you to bear with me until I have completed my explanation."

He glances at both of them with observing eyes, his voice remains unmoved. Eva feels herself tensen up, clenching her jaw. She gets a very strange feeling that this case is going to be unique and she doesn't know whether she likes it all that much. She doesn't say anything, however, she simply gives Giovanna a polite nod, encouraging him to carry on.

"My friends and I possess special powers we call 'stands'. People who control stands are called 'stand users'. You can't see them, since only stand users can see stands." Mista continues to lecture the air.

"I'm not sure if I'm following you…?" Eva says, the confusion clearly visible in her face. _Just what have we gotten ourselves into?_

"They are reflections of the soul, if you will. Manifestations of a person's fighting spirit. They all have their own powers and abilities-"

"So they are like invisible Pokémon?", Neil interjects.

Giovanna lets out a sigh in defeat. "... Yes, invisible Pokémon. It takes a lot of trust to display the powers of one's stand to strangers, but since this is an extraordinary situation…"

He takes off one of his ladybug brooches, balancing it on his palm. The brooch starts growing legs and eyes, its body turns green. Neil shrieks as a frog leaps from Giovanna's hand into his lap.

"Wh- What the fuck?", he manages, eyes wide open, his jaw is dropped lower than ever. True horror fills his eyes. "

Neil!", Eva hisses. Only then he notices that he had instinctively grabbed her hand and dug his fingernails into it. What seems like every last drop of blood in his body makes its way into Neil's face, causing him to blush. He immediately lets go of Eva's hand and adjusts his glasses, staring at his feet. Mista lets out a snort and even Giovanna has an amused little smirk on his face. Eva rolls her eyes, but she feels her shoulders relax as the tension that has been filling the room up until now slowly fade.

"I apologise for dropping this information onto you like that - it's just that our stands have played an important role in our lives and I figured I would have to tell you to avoid confusion when you start your operation - if you still want to work the case, that is. I wouldn't be surprised if you change your mind after all this." Eva shoots Neil a questioning glance, but her colleague is still busy pretending he didn't just embarrass himself in front of their clients.

"While this is certainly something we haven't dealt with before, I think you're underestimating the amount of bizarre cases we've worked on. I have a question, though." She pauses, trying to find the best way of asking what she's about to ask. "How are we going to see these 'stands'?"

Giovanna nods and takes a rather large sip of wine. "We can't know for sure, however we figured that because our patient could see them, they are an undeniable reality in the memories you are going to enter."

Eva takes a moment to think about his words before her eyes widen almost comically. "Of course! Neil, this reminds me of Colin's case."

Neil shoots her a questioning glance before realisation hits him like a truck. "Faye!"

He turns to the two men in front of him to elaborate. "A few years ago, we had a client with a, let's say, imaginary friend that was invisible to everyone else in the real world. Your Pokémon-"

"-stands"

"-yes, stands, whatever- should work the same way. Say, do you have full control over them or can they act out of their own volition?"

Giovanna averts his gaze and Neil catches Mista glancing at the arrow. The blonde clears his throat.

"Since they are a reflection of one's soul, they usually are under their user's full control. There are exceptions, of course, some of which I myself have experienced first hand and wish not to further elaborate, for your safety." He interrupts his explanation for another swig of wine - at a rather dramatic moment, Eva thinks -, emptying his glass in the process. He carefully sets it back down and shoots the two doctors a warning look. Neil gulps.

"You will see what I mean eventually. It's also possible that stands are sentient, meaning that they can and will speak. In the case of our dear Mista over there… Well, some users will let their stands walk all over them, even after having obtained them almost half a century ago."

Giovanna cocks an eyebrow, biting back a playful smirk. Mista gasps theatrically. Neil lets out a groan.

"Let's hope our patient's stand won't interfere with our operation, then… Alright, I think that's all. Shall we go set up the machine?"

To be continued.


End file.
